Tech talk, cold comfort.

The taunting has begun! Be prepared to no longer be able to buy Windows but worry not, the "Metro" section will be free of charge.

The inevitable arrival of subscription-based Windows.

Both WZor and Foley have also been told that the range of Windows SKUs will change for Windows 9, though the two have heard different things. WZor claims that Windows 9 could have some form of subscription system, with the base operating system being free but certain features costing extra. Foley suggests that there will be a version of Windows that doesn't include the desktop-available for free-and another SKU or SKUs that will have the desktop for a fee.

Imagine that! A rent only operating system. Miss a payment and you are locked out of your own personal computer. Hell, they could just shut your computer down if Microsoft gets displeased about something you did! Maybe something you said on a forum? Maybe they don't like your business model?

As I have always said, never ever let yourself be locked inside something like this, never ever used too specialized functions of an operating system or a programming language because they will put your inside a nice little prison which you can't escape from with ease. The second they bring this out, I'll be moving to Linux.

Only I and I alone must have administrative rights on my hardware. They can fuck off if they think I will be renting their motherfucking operating system!

It's almost like someone from within Microsoft (well, and outside) want to see them destroyed. Windows 8.x was not bad enough and now shit like this start to emerge.


Makes this song almost prophetic! Imagine no possessions...

This isn't even funny, just sad.

Yeah, I'll stick with the 7 and older stuff kthxbye

I think Microsoft is realizing their success of Office 365, and their current thinking is that they can apply the same paradigm to Windows 9. They are scared because on the desktop, Linux is going to start taking the place of Windows (in my opinion), so Windows has to become something in the cloud. The question is, will it work, and are they even going to do this? Are they still going to offer a non-cloud version? What about people who don't want to be connected to the internet at all?

Microsoft is walking a fine line right here, and I'm already seeing backlash comments on Ars Technica. Microsoft is all about pushing propaganda, foisting unwanted things on users, and surreptitiously changing standards to be anti-competitive. Windows 9 will more of the same old tactics, but with new wrapping paper on it. Microsoft, you don't fool me, and I don't use your software products anymore. Fuck you.

Heh, I like how the author of the Ars article linked to goes through excuse making. Some of the subtitles say it all:

Good for just about everyone

I'm not even gonna touch that one!

Nobody really wants the OS to stay the same forever

I'll give you that, but it also doesn't mean that all of us wanna go the nickeled and dimed to death route either.

The job for Microsoft: Persuading people to get on the train

Let's rework that one:

The job for Microsoft: Persuading people to drink the Kool-aid

Heheh, the next edition could be code-named Jonestown.

I had some more ideas: Microsoft cannot continue with the current business model they use for Windows and be hugely successful at the same time. Whether you like it or not, consumers have already voiced that they want big companies to automatically charge their credit cards for app downloads, and that they want to remain in a walled garden. Can you blame them? Not everybody likes editing Linux config files like me, tinkering around with Apache HTTP Server, and tweaking things until they break.

My suggestion would be to have a cloud version for free, a paid cloud version, and a non-cloud version without a back door. It's hard to figure out what the kleptocrats are up to, and which direction they're going in. Applying the presumption of market capitalization of Windows because of success with Office 365 is not a guarantee. Microsoft has already gotten enough backlash over Windows 8, and now they're testing people's reactions with leaks to see what they can get away with.

MasterOne wrote:...consumers have already voiced that they want big companies to automatically charge their credit cards for app downloads, and that they want to remain in a walled garden...

I think you are wrong because Android is MUCH larger than iOS. The people actually spoken that they do NOT want or like walled gardens prisons. Even though Android has Google Play in it, it is NOT like Apple's iOS or Microsoft's Windows Phone. You can load any application you like from outside of the Google store. I know of no one in the real life around me that is OK with a walled garden prison in their computers or phones. Both business and regular people. They might use it but they don't like it. There is a huge difference there. The second I show them how to escape, they are usually gone to never return to the prison again.

MasterOne wrote:...Microsoft has already gotten enough backlash over Windows 8, and now they're testing people's reactions with leaks to see what they can get away with.

Definitely spot on. These "leaks" and "rumours" or really sickening. I'm so tired of them. Why the fuck would a "news" Web site taunt an unconfirmed rumour from an unknown source? It is so obvious that this whole thing is a show and these "news" Web sites have their hands in the pocket of big corporations. For example Ars Technica is most probably very controlled by Microsoft in an indirect way. Their articles about Microsoft, even the "negative" ones are all trying to put Microsoft in a posivite way unlike how they write about Google etc.

They can shove their "leaks" and "rumours" where the sun don't shine!

Non Hic wrote:The people actually spoken that they do NOT want or like walled gardens prisons. Even though Android has Google Play in it, it is NOT like Apple's iOS or Microsoft's Windows Phone.

How many people are getting applications through sideloading? Maybe less than 1%? 0.5%? I think the average consumer wants a walled garden, no matter if you and I like it or not. I've talked to people face to face about how much they love their little prisons. It's sad, but it's reality. They're done finagling with the Win32 desktop to get their shit done. People have had enough. MSI files, registry woes, Visual C++ redistributable packages, etc. The technically challenged don't want to deal with anything technical. They want a company to erect the walls, and out come the credit cards. Yes, you and I don't like it, but we are not average consumers. You mentioned that you'd dealt with people who you showed how to escape out of the walled cesspit, but I haven't met any of those people here. In fact, I've met technical people who love their walled cesspit.

Like I said, not everybody likes combing over and modifying Linux config files like me. To them, it's worth losing their freedom for the convenience. That's why I'm such a big proponent of free software. I want to have control over my machine, you know, the one that belongs to me, not the developer. Free software is the only way for that to be possible. I think Google won the smartphone game by the OS being free (as in free beer), good maps, a good UI, Google integration, lots of devices to choose from, good marketing, and cheap devices. Yes, some non-tech consumers see it as a more open platform, but they're not zeroing in on the sideloading capability. They're seeing that they can buy a device not supplied by Crapple, and save money. http://bgr.com/2014/02/18/android-iphon ... omparison/ Average people aren't smart enough to understand what the implications on the users are if sideloading functionality isn't there. And even if they did, do you think they would give two shits to hear what you have to say about it? No, they wouldn't. Jersey Shore is more important.

Microsoft has to go in the cloud direction if they want to be competitive. Just because you don't like the idea, and you know I agree with you, you have to think of the Jersey Shore people that want to view recipes and football scores on their devices. That's why I said they should still offer a non-cloud version of Windows for you and me, but I wouldn't count on it. Microsoft is going to whatever necessary to make as much money as they can, and to keep the Windows stronghold going. It's possible by not offering a non-cloud version of Windows that this would alienate developers to a point where development for the cloud version of Windows will falter. So, Microsoft, you be careful with this one.

Maybe you should install Linux on a second hard drive and see how it works for you. With virtualization, you can run whatever you need using VMWare or VirtualBox. I'm currently using openSUSE 13.1 x64 with the just released KDE 4.13, but that's my personal taste, and I do try other distros from time to time. I've always came back to openSUSE because it's polished and has a good community behind it.

I understand your position but in my opinion, even though as you say, regular people don't care, techies and developers do care.

The applications and games are created in a platform in which developers feel at home. Most developers aren't fools and I think that is why Android is so big. The developers (just like myself) know that it's a locked platform, hence, they feel more comfortable on the open Android.

When it's what the developers use, naturally, there will be a lot more applications for that platform. Sure, they mostly release it from the Google Play store but Android being open makes it more comfortable for the developers and because of that, the platform gets a lot more applications.

Regular people go where the applications are. Basically, they follow the developers.

The more Microsoft closes Windows and put it into the cloud, the less developers they will have making applications for their platform. The less developers they have, well, the less regular users will adapt their operating system.

In my opinion, Microsoft has already lost this battle and if they continue this path in Windows 9, they are surely gone, dead, stick a fork in them. They will be just like I.B.M., some big corporation on the background inside other businesses and corporations. Regular users will care as much about Microsoft as they do about I.B.M. today.

You will see as many Microsoft "stuff" in people's homes as you see I.B.M. products today. Zero.